Smuggler of Shadows Book 6: Extraction
by Kadirika7211
Summary: Set between Episodes 3 & 4. Mandalorian Smuggler Kadira Sal has been drawn into the world of snatching beings out of the Empire's grasp. With her usual missions set aside, she finds herself contracted for a rescue mission of a different sort. But no plan is perfect, and more than one surprise lurks in the shadows. Rated T for some violence.
1. Prologue

_A/N: So this is the sixth story in a series of Fanfics. I'd highly recommend reading the others first, as this one will contain spoilers for the previous ones (also, the backstory will make more sense), but it's not absolutely necessary if you're determined not to :)_

_Disclaimer- I own nothing Star Wars. It all belongs to Disney, its respective creators, etc. All I own are the characters I've created and the plotline I've come up with :)I hope you enjoy it!_

* * *

Kadira Sal leaned against the counter of the _Oyu'baat_, half listening to the conversations around her as she waited for the man who had called her here. The bar was filled with her Mandalorian kin, some studying the bounty boards while others met contacts who were there to point them to their next job. The place was as loud as usual, with laughter and the occasional drunken singing bursting out at random times. It was evening, so the place was crowded to the point that Kadira was constantly moving, trying to avoid the crush of her _vode_ who had come out to celebrate for one reason or another. Jett, a former clone trooper and current member of her smuggling crew, stood next to her clad in his usual civilian clothes, leaning over the counter as he traded banter with a fellow Mandalorian. Now that Jett had officially become _mando'ad_, he was even more popular than before.

Laughter erupted at something Jett said and Kadira glanced over briefly, curiosity piqued, before going back to her scanning of the room. She had no doubt Jett would fill her in on the witty remarks that had been made earlier. As it was, she was too distracted to keep track of who was insulting whom and who was offering the cleverest retorts. Besides, she kept expecting to hear Laniff Dreysel cut in, even though her friend had been absent for two weeks. He had left to pursue a hunt of his own and she had yet to hear from him. His silence was beginning to worry her, though she knew he was more than capable of taking care of himself.

"_Kad'ika_!"

Kadira turned at the voice, raising her eyebrows as another Mandalorian made his way over to her, occasionally shoving aside some of the more inebriated patrons of the bar. She could see the blue stripe down the side of his silver armor and she nodded in greeting, recognizing the man as Xander Darin, a friend and clan-brother of Laniff's.

"Hello, Xander. I heard you were off on a hunt. How'd it go?" she asked, clasping his arm from wrist to elbow in the classic Mando greeting.

Xander grunted in response, taking off his helmet to reveal shaggy black hair and tired brown eyes. The faint lines around his eyes reminded her that he was about ten years older than she was, and had been working as a Bounty Hunter for most of his life. He was one of the better hunters, but the strain of the job seemed to be showing more now than it had even a year ago.

"The whole thing was _osik_. Just got back a few minutes ago, actually. Thought I'd drop by here and see if anyone's had word on Laniff."

Kadira sighed and shook her head, leaning back against the wall. "_Shab_. I was hoping maybe he'd gotten in touch with you."

Xander cursed, looking around and shaking his head. "No. The _di'kutla _kid hasn't sent so much as a word my way. Iam still with him?"

But Kadira was already shaking her head. "Laniff gave Iam the slip at a small refueling station on Nar Shadaa. _Buir_ hasn't been able to find him since."

Xandaer closed his eyes and tilted his head back at the ceiling, ignoring the halfhearted fight that started only a few feet behind him. A few shouts from other patrons brought the fight to a close within seconds and Xander let out a long breath, looking back to Kadira.

"I'm going to strangle him when he gets his _shebs_ back here," he said simply.

Kadira snorted, lifting one shoulder in a shrug. "You're gonna have to wait in line, _vod_."

Xander didn't respond and Kadira frowned, glancing behind him.

"I thought you had a new partner?" she asked, sensing a change in subject might be prudent. Worrying about Laniff wasn't going to bring the blonde Mando through the front door, and Xander looked worn thin as it was. "They find the _Oyu'baat_ a bit too intimidating? C'mon, tell me about her. I hear she's quite the spitfire."

That did draw a smile from Xander, though it was a grim one. "Quit the lifting eyebrows, Kad. Thalia's about ten years too young for me, but she's a good hunter. She got mixed up in some trouble on her home planet, came this way and ended up becoming one of the _vode_."

Kadira noticed his smile waver and her frown deepened. "What's going on, Xander? Everything alright?"

Xander sighed. "Let's wait for Shysa. He'll fill you in."

* * *

Kadira and Xander waited in silence while Jett continued his good natured arguing across the room. Another bout of noisy laughter made Kadira wince, rubbing her hands over her ears wryly. She was in civilian clothing for now, meaning she was without her customary helmet. The _Oyu'baat_ was one of the few places outside her own home or Iam's bastion that she was comfortable doing so. But here she was surrounded by her boisterous, obnoxious, and sometimes outright rowdy _vode_. It was something she wouldn't trade even for the anonymity her green and gold helmet gave her, despite the ringing in her ears.

She saw Xander glance up just as a large hand landed on her shoulder. Kadira turned, not overly startled when she found herself looking up into the face of Fenn Shysa. The man's tousled hair was blonde, and his blue eyes sparkled with good humor.

"_Mand'alor_," Kadira said in greeting, offering him a grin and a salute. Xander gave the man a nod but stayed silent, apparently content to allow Shysa to explain whatever the situation was.

Shysa chuckled and gestured to a nearby booth, glancing over at Jett as Kadira took a seat.

"Will he be joinin' us?" Shysa drawled, amusement in his voice as he watched clone continue his argument with the Bounty Hunter across the bar. From all appearances it was getting even more interesting, as there was now a small group gathered around them listening and occasionally cheering.

"I doubt it," Kadira answered wryly, shaking her head. "He's determined to win that fight, I think. He's been itching to let his wit loose on some poor soul since Laniff disappeared. I doubt he'll let go of the chance now that he's gotten it."

Shysa chuckled in response, leaning back in the booth and studying Kadira closely. She straightened slightly, sensing she was being evaluated and unconsciously falling back on her military training from her days on Corellia. She heard Xander chuckle and Shysa smiled warmly, seeing the motion and waving one gloved hand dismissively.

"Relax, _vod'ika_. I heard about your injury on Coruscant, wanted to be sure you were doin' alright."

Kadira felt the tension in her shoulders lessen and she lifted one shoulder in a wry shrug.

"Mostly healed, still a bit sore when I decide to make a _di'kut_ out of myself. I can wear _beskar_ again once Em finishes up my new set," she explained. "…But something tells me you asked me to come here for more than that, _Mand'alor_…"

Shysa's smile widened. "Always were too bright for your own good, _Kad'ika_… I have a favor to ask. I hear you've started smuggling more than just goods under the Empire's nose."

Kadira lifted an eyebrow in response, fully aware that _te Mand'alor_ knew she had started smuggling people in and out of systems. Most had Imperials on their trails, if not a death mark on them. He probably also knew the man who had been running the whole affair, Ran Scorlo, had walked out on the operation a few weeks prior. As her ship had been all but destroyed on the last job, she had been confined planetside ever since.

"Not for the past few weeks," Kadira said when it was clear Shysa was awaiting an answer.

Shysa nodded, apparently having expected the reply.

"I have a job for you m'self. A group of Mandos got themselves in a… bit of a bind…" Shysa said slowly, obviously measuring her reaction. "If we don't get them outta there soon, it's goin' to cause a whole lot of issues we don't have the time or the manpower to deal with."

"A bind of what sort?" Kadira replied leaning forward and glancing to Xander, who in turn looked to Shysa. She was going to get no clues from him, apparently.

Shysa nodded at Xander. "You can explain best, lad. You were there."

Xander nodded and took over, his gloved hands pressed flat against the table. Kadira saw the slightest shake in them, no more than a shiver, but it was there. Something was definitely wrong. Xander wasn't the kind to be shaken easily.

"We were chasing down a bounty, a terrorist cell that went underground on Darala," seeing Kadira's blank expression, Xander sighed. "Small planet under Imperial control. Medium population, mostly urban, and lots of unrest. Two factions are fighting for power, and neither one is all too fond of the Empire but both are willing to cut a deal in order to get the support they need to win. In short, it's the perfect place to hide. We had three teams, Thalia and me, Cin Vhetin and his partner Jay, and Zarah Reden."

"What went down?" Kadira asked, appreciating Xander's straightforward explanation. She had run across Vhetin and Jay in the past, knew they were more than capable of what sounded like a fairly straightforward job. And Zarah was an arms dealer who walked into trickier situations in the past. Whatever had happened was obviously serious to put the group in the amount of trouble Shysa was hinting at.

"The whole planet went to _osik_," Xander said. "The Imps decided it would be a good time to crack down on both sides, try to get the planet under control. Turns out they just made it more unstable. In retaliation for the strikes, one of the factions assassinated the Governor. No idea how it happened or who did it, but it was a professional job."

Kadira sighed, already seeing where the story was going. "So naturally your team came under suspicion."

Xander let out a sharp laugh. "More than suspicion, _Kad'ika_. Vhetin and I were tracking down a lead in the slums, Thalia, Zarah, and Jay stayed behind to track down a separate lead among the criminal organizations in the upper sections of the city. Zarah had some sort of contact there, so we split up. That's when the assassination happened. Jay was able to get a warning message to us, then we lost all contact."

"We have confirmation that the three of them are now being held in a high-security prison," Shysa took over the story. "Normally, Black and Vhetin would have just broken in and freed the three themselves, but it looks like the Empire has mustered quite a bit of manpower to keep that from happening. "

"They know Jay and Thalia have backup," Kadira murmured, nodding.

"And they know that two out of the three people they're holding are Mandos, and that Jay can hold her own with 'em," Shysa added. "Imps are dumb, but not that dumb. They're not takin' any chances. Now they're startin' to point fingers, tryin' to pin the assassination on the three. The acting Governor wants a scapegoat, a way t' make it look like he's got th' planet under his control before his superiors decide to replace him."

"And if he pins it on them, not only are they in trouble but so are all of us," Xander added, his face carefully blank. He was clearly trying to keep his personal ties to the mission at bay, but Kadira could see it was a struggle. And no wonder. If it had been one of Kadira's team she had no doubt she wouldn't have the restraint to look at the bigger picture. Xander did, and her respect for him only grew for it.

"We 'ave word the Governor is looking to go higher up the ladder," Shysa continued. "If he can make it look like this was a Protector job and not just pin it on a bunch of Mercs, he'll get a big pat on th' back for uncovering a conspiracy and bring the Empire down on our heads. The last thing we need is to give th' Imps an excuse to extend their control here."

Kadira studied the table, brow furrowed as she thought through all the information Shysa and Xander had presented. Finally, she looked up.

"So why come to me?"

Xander sighed and leaned back, lifting one shoulder in a shrug. "To be blunt? Because Laniff's not here, and you're the next best thing."

"I need someone who can lead a team and get that team in and out in one piece, lass," Shysa cut in. "You have both the military training and the smuggling abilities we need. Plus, you're not likely to get hung up on questions of who is in charge. You can listen and take advice, and you're goin' to need that."

Kadira lifted an eyebrow questioningly, and Shysa sighed.

"We have word that the Imps are goin' to hit the planet hard on top o' this whole political mess. Our folk need to be long gone by th' time that happens."

"If they're gone, the acting Governor loses his scapegoat. It's back to the drawing board for him and back to safety for us. Leastways for now," Xander explained.

Kadira nodded slowly. "Alright, fair enough. But I'm down a ship. The _Vanguard_ is out of commission for now, if not permanently."

"I have a ship ready and waiting," Shysa answered simply.

"And my team? Who will that be made up of?"

"Vhetin, who is waiting planet-side for us. Myself, obviously," Xander counted off the members on one gloved hand. "You, I'm assuming your boyfriend-"

"He's not my boyfriend," Kadira cut in.

"-and anyone else you think should be brought along," Xander finished as if he hadn't even heard her protest.

"Who're you thinking, _Kad'ika_?" Shysa asked. From the look on his face, he wasn't quite as willing as Xander to allow her to make the sole decision on who would be part of the team. She couldn't really blame him. After all, this was more than just an average smuggling job, even for her. Smuggling one person out of the Empire was one thing. Three was another matter entirely, especially when the job was this important.

"I want Black," Kadira said, leaning back in her seat and crossing her arms over her chest. "Corey Black, the one who served in the Clone Wars. Iam's not an option, but having a veteran in the group seems like a good idea."

Shysa nodded, rubbing his jaw. "I'll have someone get in touch with him."

"You said Vhetin is still planetside?"

Xander nodded the affirmative. "Wouldn't leave his partner behind, not when I could head here and get backup. He said he'd keep an eye out for a rescue, but I haven't heard a word. Must mean he's still counting on us."

"There's one more member I'm going to ask you take along, Kadira. And you're not gonna like it," Shysa warned.

Kadira's attention snapped to the _Mand'alor_, taking in the grim set of his jaw, as if he were preparing himself for a fight. His expression made her tense, already guessing who it was he wanted her to take along.

"No. _Shab_ no, not her. I'll take a fierfekking gungan if you ask me to, just please not that _chakaar_," Kadira protested, but she could tell the battle was already lost. Shysa shrugged, grabbing his helmet and settling it over his head. Kadira knew that meant the discussion was over and she sighed.

"Not negotiable, _Kad'ika_. Stazia Katar has already agreed to the mission. I'll let her know to meet you and the rest of the crew tomorrow. Best get movin' on whatever preparation you'll be needin' t' make," Shysa said, standing up.

Xander looked to Kadira and lifted one armored shoulder in a shrug, moving to follow as Shysa started out of the _Oyu'baat_.

"Might wanna pick up that new kit of yours, Kad. I'll see you tomorrow."

Kadira watched the two exit the building and let out a long sigh.

* * *

Jett meandered up to Kadira's table, helmet clipped to his side as he ducked around a small group of Bounty Hunters swapping stories. He was just in time to hear the last bit of the exchange between Kadira and the two men, as well as take in her expression after they'd left. The name Stazia Katar obviously didn't sit well with her, and he felt himself tense. Definitely not a good sign… He forced himself to smile. Now wasn't the time to dredge up his past. Not with the mood she was apparently in.

"So who is this Stazia Katar?" Jett's voice should have startled her. She clearly hadn't seen him approach, but Kadira simply sighed and gestured that he should take a seat.

"Biggest _chakaar_ I've ever had the displeasure of working with, and that's saying something," Kadira answered darkly. If she had been paying more attention, she might have noticed the strange look on Jett's face, but she was too preoccupied with her own thoughts to see it.

Jett lifted one shoulder in a shrug, holding out a hand to her instead of taking the proffered seat.

"Well… I can't cross _te Mand'alor_ and suggest we leave this Stazia person behind, but…I know exactly what will help."

Kadira looked at him skeptically, earning a small smile. She clearly wasn't ready to let go of whatever grudge she had but she was also curious. It was a start, and he was willing to work with it.

"Come on," he urged. "Em's supposed to have that new armor of yours all ready to go. Let's go have a look."

Kadira sighed and took his hand, letting him haul her to her feet.

"You just want to see your new set," she grumbled, earning a chuckle from the clone.

"Oh come on, I thought you ladies were supposed to enjoy shopping," Jett teased, earning a small laugh.

"I don't think that usually extends to armor, _vod'ika_," she observed.

"So Mandos are unique. Not like that's a big surprise."

He fell silent until they stepped outside, leaving the noise of the _Oyu'baat_ behind as they began the trek to Em's shop.

"So…" he glanced sideways at her, eyebrows raised. She apparently picked up on his tone, for her eyes narrowed when she looked at him. He had to struggle to keep his expression blank, knowing his next words would definitely get a reaction. "Any particular reason Xander thinks we're a couple?"

He didn't bother to dodge the smack she aimed at him. He grinned as he rubbed his arm, already knowing it was going to bruise. Still, the blush he glimpsed on her face was definitely worth it.

* * *

_A/N: And we're off to another story :) Apologies for the long delay, I've been battling illness since Christmas and am finally back on my feet. As always, I love to hear thoughts, opinions, etc! :)_

_Corey Black appears courtesy of Corey Black here on Fanfic. Vhetin and Jay appear courtesy of Vhetin1138 here on Fanfic. _


	2. Chapter 1

Kadira leaned over the table her _beskar'gam_ had been laid out on, inspecting the new set with interest. It was a new design for her, something she'd been a bit worried about but Em seemed to have pulled it off without a hitch.

Emika was leaning back against the wall, her stance nonchalant but her sharp gaze making it clear she was watching for Kadira's reaction. Every so often the woman would shift slightly obviously impatient, but Kadira ignored the woman's none-too subtle hints, instead continuing to study the new set of armor. She'd learned a long time ago to check first and speak second when it came to an entirely new suit. Emika might be a friend, but there were times she made her own adjustments to a set that didn't fit the specific purposes Kadira had in mind.

Jett had already taken his own set to the back room to don, apparently too excited to spend too much time inspecting it. Kadira just had to hope he didn't activate some setting by accident that would bring the whole building down on their heads.

Kadira fingered one of the calf plates of her own set of armor, smiling wryly as she took in Emika's addition to the plain green plates Kadira had requested.

"Bloodstripes?" Kadira asked, holding one of the plates up and turning it towards the light. The gold painted stripes along the side stood out against a solid black stripe, a clear symbol to almost the entire galaxy that the wearer had earned the military honor of Corellian bloodstripes. Usually they were attached to a pantleg, so Kadira had never seen them painted on armor before.

Emika shrugged one shoulder.

"Seemed fitting. You earned 'em after all, you may as well wear them. Not to mention it might add to your intimidation factor, they don't give out those things lightly. Though it would have looked better if you hadn't decided to scrap the thigh plates," she said, a faintly accusatory note in her voice. Kadira laughed softly in response, returning the calf plate to its place on the table and picking up the helmet to inspect.

"It was time for a change," Kadira responded. "Besides, I don't see you complaining about me ditching the kama or the jetpack." Kadira looked up with one eyebrow raised pointedly.

Emika made a face, pushing off the wall to come pick up the backplate from the table. "That's because if you had gotten shot anywhere else, your jetpack would have exploded. I understand not wanting that risk. You're not a beroya, so you don't need it as much as the hunters do, and since you won't have a jetpack, you won't need the kama to protect from the backwash. That much makes sense. But going without thigh plates seems a little…. Reckless."

Kadira laughed, looking to the other woman and tapping one finger pointedly against the bloodstripes

"I'm Corellian. It's in my blood, isn't it? Besides, it's high time I shed a bit of armor and traded that extra weight for some added speed. I'm a smuggler, for star's sake, not a _beroya_. I'll leave the heavy armor to the bounty hunters. It's high time I relied on something other than my _beskar'gam_ to keep me alive."

Emika sighed and set the backplate aside, giving up the argument. It helped that this was the third time going over it, and Kadira was surer than ever that she wanted to be able to move more freely than she'd been able to before. If she'd had that added speed back on Coruscant she may have been able to actually save her target, rather than seeing the girl die a few feet from freedom.

Kadira traced the design on the helmet with one finger, a series of gold interlocking half circles, centered two downward facing arrows, all outlined in black. The breastplate carried a similar design, but was more complete, sporting an extra set of circle and lines that rounded out the design and carried across different pieces of the armor. In all, Emika had done a remarkable job.

"I still say it looks like some sort of bird," Jett spoke over her shoulder, leaning over her to look at the armor while holding his own helmet tucked under his elbow.

Kadira rolled her eyes. "Shut up, _di'kut_," she said, cocking one eyebrow at him. "It does not."

Emika tilted her head, studying it. "No, no, he's right… I can see it too."

Kadira blew out a breath and waved them both off, ignoring Jett's grin and Emika's smirk. This one was a fight she definitely wouldn't win.

"Can we make your callsign 'bird?" Jett asked hopefully.

"You really wanna ask me that when I'm armed?" Kadira asked, tapping the heavily modified pistol strapped to her side with two fingers. She didn't have to look up to know Emika was smirking as Jett laughed. "Step back a bit, Jett, let me see your set," she added, having to crane her neck to look up at him. She was tall, but Jett had a good few inches on her.

Jett grinned and stepped back, tilting one brow at her as he waited for her approval. His set was the traditional full armor, consisting of chest and back plates, thick shoulder pieces, thigh armor, calf plating, boot covers, and the usual heavy gauntlets that hooked up to the flamethrower he had chosen to carry. The helmet he carried under his arm was equipped with the most recent HUD systems and a rangefinder, rounded out by the 360 view most Mandos came to rely on. He wore no jetpack, instead opting for a shoulder cape that Kadira suspected had more to do with hiding the underarm holster he sported than for aesthetics. A cloth belt completed the set, covered by an ammunition belt that held enough for Jett to stage a small siege.

He had chosen to leave the armor mostly unpainted but for the blue, black, and gold stripes across his shoulder plates and set off-center across his helmet. The rest was dark silver, with a simple brushed look that kept the set from appearing too clean. Not that it would be a problem for too long – Jett got into more trouble than Kadira usually managed to find. His armor would have its fair share of scrapes and dents soon enough.

Kadira nodded finally, approving the set. "It fits well?"

"Like a second skin," Jett confirmed, tugging on one of the shoulder plates to demonstrate.

"Just don't light your cape on fire with that flamethrower of yours," Emika advised dryly.

"That's why it's on the opposite gauntlet," Jett replied with a smile.

Kadira smiled and turned back to her own gear, moving to pick up one of the two shoulder plates and turning it over in her hands to inspect it. It was made from thick armorleather, allowing her injured shoulder to hold its weight without trouble. The plates each sported a leather strap that would go underneath the other plates of her armor, and had two additional plates of leather that would cover her upper arms in place of the usual _beskar_ pieces she had worn previously.

"Iam mentioned tooling the design into the shoulderplates as well," Emika spoke up. "But those will wear out faster than the rest of the armor, so I didn't think it would be worth the extra cost just to look pretty."

Kadira nodded, placing the plate back on the table and inspecting the other in the same fashion. "Good call. I'm not worried about pretty so much as functional," she mused, stepping back and putting her hands on her hips to inspect the whole set, nodding slowly. "You said there's a holster?" she asked, looking to Emika. The other woman snapped her fingers, nodding as if she'd forgotten.

"Yeah, it should fit over the armor a bit better..." she explained, crossing the room and ducking behind the high counter that was piled with miscellaneous bits of armor. Kadira could hear the other woman digging around in the back, muttering something about organization, before reappearing holding a leather holster and smiling proudly.

Kadira held out her hand as Emika came closer and the other woman handed over the holster, pointing to the side. "There's a holster for your pistol, obviously, but there's also a sheathe for a blade right behind it. The holster was made to fit the new pistol Zarah got a hold of for you, so you shouldn't have any issues with drawing speed."

Kadira nodded, picking up a back sheathe Emika hadn't explained. It was long enough to hold a vibroblade, but seemed to have multiple thin slits, all lined up with one another. "And this one?"

Emika grinned, reaching beneath the table and producing a slim blade with a smooth handle that seemed to have some sort of trigger. It was as long as Kadira's old vibroblade, but looked entirely different. The blade sported a subtle S-curve, ending in a simple hand with the trigger pad along the bottom.

"This is for your new blade," Emika explained. Kadira waited, fingering the slot Emika had yet to explain. "Jett mentioned you prefer to use a blade with an edge that doesn't vibrate, but most have the issue that the blade will snap or dull in time. This is a piece that should fix that problem."

Emika handed the blade over to Jett, who handled it with a confidence that informed Kadira that this had been based on another of his old weapons, no doubt a prototype that had never gone into mass circulation. He had already given her a rifle that was of the same type and had fast become one of her favorite weapons.

"The trigger points are there to release the blade," Jett explained, bringing the blade closer and allowing her to inspect it. He took the sheathe from her and slid the blade into the slot Kadira had asked about. She heard a small click as the blade snapped into place. "The slot is there to hold a number of backup blades, that way if yours is damaged you can just switch it out. The mechanism is fast, so you won't be losing speed. There's also a manual override, in case anything goes wrong. All you do is use the trigger pad to release your old blade, let it drop, and then reach back and snap your hilt into the holster. You'll pull out a new blade and be set. Once you get used to it, you can always start working with different types of blades, depending on your purpose."

Jett handed the blade to Kadira, who took it curiously, smiling at the way it settled in her hand. "You had this one made for me," she observed, noting it way it balanced perfectly to her grip. The curve of the blade was subtle, but she found she liked it better than the usual straight blade. It felt more balanced in her hand.

"I used your old blade as a model. Mine would have been too heavy," Jett explained, rubbing the back of his neck.

"It's perfect," Kadira assured him, offering a nod of thanks. Jett grinned and nodded in response, visibly relaxing.

Kadira turned back to Emika, noting the way the woman fidgeted, obviously impatient for a verdict on the armor.

"You've outdone yourself, _vod_," Kadira said, nodding and looking back to the set.

Emika shrugged off the praise. "So quit admiring it and put it on already. I'm sick of seeing you in civvie clothes."

Kadira smirked in response and gathered up the armor, heading to the back room to don the set.

* * *

Kadira settled her new helmet over her head, taking a deep breath as she heard the distinctive hiss of her suit sealing. She had yet to even see how the armor looked, but she could already feel herself relaxing at the familiar weight of wearing _beskar'gam_. As her HUD blinked to life Kadira couldn't stop the grin she felt spreading over her face. It felt good to be back in armor again.

She stepped back to look at the armor in the polished metal plate that served as a mirror in Emika's back room, nodding once as she took in the full effect of the armor. The paint job was still mostly green, though unlike her last set the color was much darker, making the new gold designs stand out better against the color. The black outlines had been added as well, setting the patterns sharply against the green background.

Kadira rolled her shoulders, pleased with the amount of freedom the leather gave her, all without putting undue weight on her injured shoulder. It felt slightly strange to be without the thigh plates her last set had boasted, but the new holster wrapped around her thigh with two strips, attaching to her belt with two thick loops that distributed the weight of her pistol and vibroblade evenly. Kadira nodded once more in satisfaction before ducking back into the main hall, taking off her helmet as she did so. Emika handed over the new sheathe, which Kadira easily attached to her back. The new blade was less bulky than her previous one, something Kadira was grateful for as she finished strapping it on. She could hardly tell it was there. Jett was nodding approval even as Emika crossed the room, reaching out to tug on different plates to check the fit of the piece.

"No pinching?" Emika asked, circling around to the back.

"None," Kadira confirmed, lifting her arms at the woman's instructions and lowering them again when directed.

Emika checked a few more pieces, muttering about the lack of thigh plating, before stepping back and nodding her approval. "You're good to go. Anything you need fixed or don't like? If so, now's the time to mention it."

Kadira held out her left arm in front of her, inspecting the gauntlets and nodding. "Looks good to me, Em. Though…"

"Though?" Emika prompted, dragging out the word.

Kadira shrugged. "It's a bit too shiny, if you ask me."

Emika rolled her eyes. "Yeah, well, I'm sure you'll beat the _osik_ out of it by the end of the week. It'll look less shiny then." Emika tilted her head at Kadira, all signs of humor gone. "If you end up needing anything, let me know. Don't know how much use I'll be, but… Just get our _vode_ back in one piece, Kad."

Kadira nodded, slipping the helmet back over her head. "Will do, _vod_."

* * *

Jett watched as Kadira ran one gloved hand over the hull of the ship Shysa had procured for the mission, no doubt using the sensors embedded in her gloves to filter the information through her HUD system. He could tell she wasn't thrilled with the old model, almost completely lacking all the advanced systems the _Vanguard_ had boasted, but she wasn't outright refusing to fly it.

"Thoughts?" Jett asked when she'd completed a full circle of the ship. Kadira sighed, pulling her helmet off and glancing back over her shoulder at the ship.

"I've become a snob," she said finally, looking back to him with a smile pulling at her mouth. "It's flyable I guess, with plenty of weapons on board in case we have to shoot our way out…"

"But the _Vanguard_ would have been better," Jett finished the thought. To his surprise, she didn't immediately agree.

"Better all-around as a ship, maybe…" Kadira mused slowly. "But for this mission she may have been a bit too… flashy."

"So we get to fly a hunk of junk on a rescue mission. Great," the voice came from behind and Jett turned to take in a man walking towards them. The Mandalorian was dressed in red armor, with slashes of black paint across the helmet and breastplate. He was taller than Kadira by a good few inches and wore a much heavier set of armor than Kadira's. Jett noticed the heavy looking bag the man carried over one shoulder, though the red-black armored Mando didn't even seem to notice the weight. "You sure we can't switch this piece of _osik_ out for a real ship? Mine's fueled and ready to go."

Kadira was already moving forward, clasping the man's arm in greeting as she answered.

"Not likely, though I'm with you on the sentiment Black. I'd much rather take _Overkill_, but Shysa specifically ordered we use this ship, so we're stuck with it. Jett, this is Corey Black. Black, this is Jett," Kadira stepped back as she made the introductions and Corey nodded at Jett in greeting, reaching out to clasp arms.

"You're the clone I keep hearing about."

"Most likely," Jett responded. "You were the Sergeant for Drexl squad back in the war?"

Black nodded in response, tilting his helmeted head to study Jett for a moment before looking back to Kadira. "So, what's the plan? Xander filled me in a bit, but said you'd assign roles and introduce the team yourself."

Kadira nodded in affirmation, clipping her helmet to her side. "The rest of the team should get here any minute, with the exception of Vhetin, who we'll be meeting on-planet," Kadira explained to Black, earning a nod in response. "We'll be posing as smugglers, so you're going to have to turn off the _beroya_ side of you, leastways 'til we're planet-side. After that, we'll need all the firepower we can get."

"You up for this, _vod_?" Black asked, tilting his helmeted head at her as he studied her from beneath his faceplate. "I heard you took a pretty bad injury a while back."

Kadira nodded. "I'm back in fighting shape, _vod_, no worries. Gilamar gave his personal approval for me to get back out in the field."

Black nodded once more, clearly satisfied. "I take it I'll be copiloting this hunk of _osik_?" he asked. Jett liked the way the man focused on each individual task, not getting sidetracked by the conversation or introductions.

Jett could hear the smile in Kadira's tone as she responded, "Let's hope we can get it in the sky between the two of us."

"And keep it there," Corey added wryly. He lifted a large bag up as if for inspection, his neck still craned to look up at the ship. "Thought I'd bring along some extra equipment."

Kadira was about to respond when Jett saw her stiffen, her arms going straight to her sides as she looked past Black to the entrance. Black turned as well and had much the same reaction, silence falling over the hangar as Jett turned to see what had caused their reaction.

Another Mandalorian sauntered towards them, her armor a mixture of so many different colored plates that it was impossible to tell what the original set may have been made up of. She carried a sniper rifle over her shoulder, as well as a small pistol at her side. There was a deep gash across the right side of her helmet, leaving a dent large enough that Jett wondered why she hadn't just replaced the whole helmet. In all, there was nothing extremely unusual in her appearance, but the reactions of the two Mandalorians next to him warned him to be on his guard. Jett glanced back over to Kadira, noting that her arms were now crossed over her chest, her facial expression and body language unreadable. Never a good sign.

The newcomer was completely silent as she drew closer, one thumb hooked under the strap that held her rifle across her back. The woman completely ignored both Black and Jett, slowing to a halt only when she was a few inches shy of being directly in Kadira's face. Jett felt himself stiffen at the obvious slight to Black and himself, though the other man seemed unperturbed.

"Welcome to the team, Stazia," Kadira spoke finally, but her tone was completely bland, belying the welcome in her words.

Stazia rocked forward ever so slightly, bringing herself further into Kadira's space and nearly smacking her as the rifle shifted across her shoulder. Neither woman moved to block it and the weapon stopped centimeters from Kadira's face, the taunt evident to all of them. But Kadira remained perfectly still, apparently unwilling to take the bait.

"Good to be here, Sal," Stazia said finally. Her words were smooth, but there was an underlying sarcasm that immediately made Jett bristle. Kadira lifted one eyebrow slowly, holding the other woman's helmeted gaze without flinching. Neither of them moved, the silence so thick Jett almost thought he could feel it.

Finally Black muttered something indistinguishable under his breath. The noise seemed to break whatever standoff had been taking place and Stazia moved off without a word or even a glance at Jett and Corey, striding up the ramp of the ship and disappearing inside. Kadira let out an explosive breath once the other woman was out of sight, rubbing the back of her neck with one gloved hand.

"I could shoot that woman in a heartbeat," Black growled, no trace of the good humor he had shown before in his tone.

"Not gonna happen, _vod_," Kadira replied dryly. "I've got dibs."

Black snorted. "I'll start the line, then."

"Who are we shooting?"

* * *

Kadira turned at Xander's voice, offering the man a grim smile. He looked tired, as if he'd barely gotten any sleep, but there was at least less strain in his posture. Having a team ready to go had obviously helped ease his mind somewhat.

"Stazia. Who else?" she replied with a raised eybrow, tilting her head towards the ship. "She's as charming as ever."

"She's a _shabuir_, nobody's arguing that point. Just try to put up with her, we need her contacts and her expertise," Xander replied evenly, swinging his own bag down from his shoulder. "Just don't let her bait you into a fight. She'd like nothing better."

Kadira nodded. "Just don't expect me to trust her to watch my back. Not after last time."

Xander's smile was sharp and lacking any sense of humor. "Oh I don't. If she tries a stunt like that again I'll be the first to shoot her."

"Third," Corey put in.

"Third?" Xander asked.

"Third to shoot her," Corey explained calmly "There's a line now, _vod_, take a number. Though technically Jett was here first, so you might be relegated to fourth."

Jett choked on a laugh, trying too late to turn it into a cough. Kadira had to hide her own smile, sensing Xander wasn't in the mood for banter. Not that he ever was. Laniff had gotten a solid punch to the jaw more than once when he'd pushed Xander too far, and Kadira preferred to avoid such a situation on this job.

Xander simply let out a breath before continuing, "I take it we'll be assigning roles on the ship, then?"

Kadira shrugged, turning to look up the ramp. "I'm not doing anything too formal." She turned back to see Xander's lifted eyebrow and she offered a shrug in response. "You're the one who recruited a smuggler to lead this thing. If you wanted strict military discipline, you maybe should have snagged a soldier instead."

Xander grunted in reply, scanning the ship behind her before looking back. "So?"

"Black's my co-pilot. He's a good pilot and we need as many of those as we can get in the cockpit. Jett has the most extensive medical training of the crew, so he'll be our med tech. Stazia is the one who has contacts, and since she's doubtless unwilling to share them, that's her job. You'll be acting as our advisor, since you know the situation best," Kadira rattled off the roles quickly. "Vhetin will be our main manpower, as he's probably got some of the strongest combat skills."

"Advisor or not, I better not get stuck on the ship for this whole thing," Xander warned. "Especially _that_ ship. I feel like it might explode if someone kicks it."

"You won't be," Kadira assured him. "This is going to be all hands on deck. We don't have the manpower to let anyone just stay on standby mode. Besides, your partner is one of the ones we're rescuing. I'm not about to try to keep you out of the action on that."

Xander nodded grimly. "Sounds good. I'll get in touch with Vhetin, let him know we're on our way."

"Tell him to try to find a place we can work from. It'd be nice to have something already scouted out by the time we get there, and Vhetin knows what to be looking for."

"Any specific instructions?" Xander asked, but Kadira was already shaking her head.

"I trust his judgment. He's been planetside and knowing Vhetin, he's been watching. He may even have something already picked out."

"I'll let him know," Xander confirmed.

Kadira nodded, gesturing to the ship. "Gentlemen, your carriage awaits," she said wryly, unclipping her helmet from her side and sliding it over her head.

"More like a coffin than a carriage," Xander retorted, starting up the ramp and grimacing when it shifted and groaned under his weight.

Kadira looked over at Black. "Next time, I vote we don't let Shysa choose the ship."

Black chuckled and headed up the ramp of the ship, leaving Kadira to look over at Jett wryly.

"You sure you're up for this?" the clone asked, jerking his chin towards the ship and tilting one eyebrow at her.

Kadira turned, studying the slightly battered ship, taking in its lines and apparent age, but also the sturdy construction. Sure, the paint was a bit chipped and it looked like it had barely survived a crash landing…

"Shysa wouldn't put us in a death trap," Kadira said finally, glancing over to Jett and seeing his grimace. He looked about as convinced as she felt, and it made her smile.

Jett studied the ship for a few seconds more before he sighed.

"Fine. I'll trust you on this count," he said, settling his own helmet over his head.

"_Vor'e, vod_," Kadira replied, starting up the ramp and ignoring its groan of protest. "But if this whole thing blows up, I was against the idea from the start. Got it?"

Jett just laughed in response, following her on board the ship and sealing the door behind them.

* * *

Laniff Dreysel stood at the entrance to his ship, staring at the control panel grimly. One touch and he'd be walking down onto the world he'd spent almost his whole life trying to find. He'd be that much closer to the man who had killed his _buir_, that much closer to finally avenging the deaths that had weighed on him for so long. And yet for some reason he was hesitating. Maybe it was because he wasn't ready for another failure. He wasn't sure he could go back to Manda'yaim knowing he'd failed. Again. Iam and Kadira would welcome him back but they'd be worried about him, as they were after every one of his hunts that went wrong. And to see it all come crashing down again after so much work wasn't something he was sure he could handle again.

Laniff let out a pained breath, rubbing the back of his neck. He had a feeling that it was also guilt that was stopping him from going forward. Iam ought to be here. The man had been in this hunt since the beginning, long before Laniff had gained the experience he needed to hunt down the _shabuir_ who had killed his family. Iam had been the one to start the hunt in order to avenge the friend he'd lost when Laniff's father had died. In fact, it had been Iam who took Laniff in, treated him like a son and taught the angry little boy how to live, in spite of the loss.

And Laniff had ditched him at the last refueling station. Not exactly the best way to show gratitude, but Laniff hadn't been able to stop himself. Iam had already done enough. The man had dedicated years to hunting down the older Dreysel's killer and so far had naught to show for it. Laniff figured it was time for the hunt to rest on his shoulders now. Guilt or no.

Laniff sighed and punched the button to lower the ramp, ignoring the small, insistent voice in the back of his mind that was telling him to call Iam, let the man in on the hunt again. Stars knew Laniff could probably use the backup, he was going up against Death Watch, after all. But he knew he wouldn't do it. Iam and Kadira would be furious, but Laniff was determined to finish this himself. And if Iam was there…

Laniff watched as the ramp lowered, settling down on the duracrete floor of the spaceport with a dull thud. It was time he started living up to his father's legacy. Time he finally settled the score for his father's death… and Melly's.

Laniff straightened and strode down the ramp, memories echoing in his mind as the ship closed behind him. He would finish this hunt for himself. Iam would understand, in time. And Kadira would forgive him for it as well. After all, they were family. Kadira was as much a sister to him now as Melly had been. The only difference was blood, and to a Mando that didn't matter anyway. He knew she'd come around, because he had a feeling she would do the same thing if she was in his place.

* * *

Jett watched from the doorway as Kadira leaned over the comm table, her helmet tucked under her arm and her hair pulled back from her face as she spoke with Iam. The man had gotten in touch with them just before Kadira was about to send the ship into hyperspace, delaying the trip by a few minutes as he updated Kadira on the search for Laniff.

"But why would he just disappear, _buir_?" Kadira asked with a sigh, frowning. The others had cleared the room, leaving Kadira in relative privacy for the conversation. Xander and Jett remained behind at Kadira's signal. Clearly she wanted them there so she wouldn't need to repeat the intel to them later.

"This is his hunt, _ad'ika_. Looks like he wants to finish it for himself," Iam replied. "You need to realize that this goes deeper than you know."

Jett saw Kadira's eyes narrow.

"Meaning?"

Iam sighed. "_Lan'ika_ doesn't talk about it, but…" Iam trailed off, apparently reluctant to part with a secret that wasn't his.

"Laniff had a sister," Xander put in bluntly, shrugging when Iam gave him a sharp look.

Jett expected Kadira to react. Instead, she went very still, not even turning to look over her shoulder at Xander.

"…_buir_?" she asked finally, clearly looking for confirmation.

"Her name was Melkara," Iam confirmed with a sigh. Kadira glanced over at Jett briefly and he was sure the surprise on her face was mirrored by his own. "She was six when she died."

Kadira flinched.

"How? Surely even Death Watch isn't screwed up enough to shoot a kid," Kadira said finally, her voice far calmer than Jett was sure his own would be.

"You'd be surprised. I don't know exactly what happened – Laniff was there but… well, he wasn't in much shape to talk about what he'd seen at the time, and he clammed up later. As far as we could tell, Melkara was hit by a stray shot. She was already almost crippled from a fall when she was younger, so it makes sense she wouldn't be able to leave the bastion without help. I doubt the _shabuir_ even knew she was there. Laniff pulled her out of there himself, his _buir_ was already dead by that time. She held on for about two weeks before she died."

Kadira let out a slow breath, dropping her head forward and running her hand through her hair with her free hand.

"I had no idea, _buir_…" she said at last, looking back up. "… losing a father is hard enough. But watching your kid sister die?"

"She idolized him," Xander put it. "He never really got over the fact that he wasn't able to save her."

Kadira sighed and nodded. "Think he'll be ok, _buir_?" she asked, straightening up. Jett could tell she was setting aside her thoughts for later, focusing on the mission instead of on Laniff. Not an easy thing to do, he was sure, but she was undoubtedly aware that the people on this ship were counting on her. And she couldn't help Laniff if she didn't know where he was.

It was probably the reason Shysa had chosen her to lead this op. That and her experience smuggling people away from the Empire.

Iam nodded. "He'll let us know if he needs us. In the meantime, focus on your job."

Kadira nodded confirmation and the hologram of Iam nodded once in return, then shimmered and died.

"You still up to leading this thing? Last thing we need is a distracted leader," Xander put in, crossing his arms over his chest and looking at Kadira.

Kadira was silent a moment, assessing the situation before answering. Finally she looked up, raising one eyebrow. "As soon as he's back, I'm going to kick his _shebs_. But Iam's right, this is Laniff's hunt. If he needs me, he'll let me know. Until then, I'll just have to trust that he knows what he's doing. He's a Mando. He can take care of himself," Kadira replied. "I'm good to lead."

With that, Kadira pulled her helmet over her head and strode from the room towards the cockpit.

"Black!" Kadira called, the vocoder in her helmet allowing her to raise her voice above the usual whispery quality it possessed, though it failed to hide the damage to her vocal chords. "Let's get this hunk of junk moving. Otherwise Vhetin will likely try some dangerous rescue plan without us."

She emphasized the point by pounding one armored fist against the hull, causing the ship to make a dull clang that made Jett wince. He was starting to expect the piece of scrap they were flying in to fall apart at the slightest provocation.

"You honestly think we could stop him if we were there?" Black called back coolly.

"Not a chance. I just don't want to miss out on being part of it," Kadira replied, and Jett could practically hear the grin in her voice.


End file.
